Melbourne Renegades, Stars ready to bat out the off-season in the Top End

Big Bash League clubs Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars have lauded NT Cricket for providing a platform to play quality cricket in the traditional off-season.

BIG Bash League clubs Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars have lauded NT Cricket for providing a platform to play quality cricket in the traditional off-season.

The two clubs will join NT Cricket’s TIO Strike League T20 tournament which is a key component of the inaugural Cricket 365 program taking place from August 15-27 at DXC Arena.

There the Renegades and Stars will take on the City Cyclones, Desert Blaze, Northern Tide and Southern Storm, sides comprising of the best of the Top End’s local competition.

Cricket fans in the Territory will be treated to high-quality cricket across the board with the BBL sides comprising of a mix of regular stars and academy players on the hunt for a contract.

Renegades will boast a squad including BBL 08 winners Mackenzie Harvey and Cameron Boyce along with Josh Lalor and Zak Evans.

Zak Evans of the Renegades celebrates. Picture: Mike Owen/Getty Images

Nick Larkin. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Stars will have plenty of their own big guns including Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nick Larkin and Tom O’Connell.

Melbourne Renegades coach David Saker said it was a great opportunity for his squad to get some match experience in the southern off-season.

“This is a great opportunity for our squad to get some competitive T20 match experience at a time of the year they would otherwise be confined to the nets,” Saker said.

“There are a number of players with first-class experience featuring across all teams in the tournament so our players will get a lot out of it.”

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Melbourne Stars interim general manager Blair Couch commended NT Cricket for providing a quality competition during the winter.

“The work NT Cricket has done to bring the Strike League to life in recent years and give southern states the opportunity for quality competition during winter is a fantastic outcome,” Couch said.

“It’s a great chance for some of our guys to get white ball game time during winter and it also gives us a chance to have a look at other players who might be in the mix in the future.”